Technology Overview
We stand alone in our focus on developing the "perfect search engine," defined by co-founder Larry Page as something that, "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want." To that end, we have persistently pursued innovation and refused to accept the limitations of existing models. As a result, we developed our serving infrastructure and breakthrough PageRank™ technology that changed the way searches are conducted.
From the beginning, our developers recognized that providing the fastest, most accurate results required a new kind of server setup. Whereas most search engines ran off a handful of large servers that often slowed under peak loads, ours employed linked PCs to quickly find each query's answer. The innovation paid off in faster response times, greater scalability and lower costs. It's an idea that others have since copied, while we have continued to refine our back-end technology to make it even more efficient.
The software behind our search technology conducts a series of simultaneous calculations requiring only a fraction of a second. Traditional search engines rely heavily on how often a word appears on a web page. We use more than 200 signals, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which pages are most important. We then conduct hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, we're able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.
• PageRank Technology: PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.
PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page's importance.
• Hypertext-Matching Analysis: Our search engine also analyzes page content. However, instead of simply scanning for page-based text (which can be manipulated by site publishers through meta-tags), our technology analyzes the full content of a page and factors in fonts, subdivisions and the precise location of each word. We also analyze the content of neighboring web pages to ensure the results returned are the most relevant to a user's query.
Our innovations don't stop at the desktop. To give people access to the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it, we continue to develop new mobile applications and services that are more accessible and customizable. And we're partnering with industry-leading carriers and device manufacturers to deliver these innovative services globally. We're working with many of these industry leaders through the Open Handset Alliance to develop Android, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform, which will offer people a less expensive and better mobile experience.
Life of a Google Query
The life span of a Google query normally lasts less than half a second, yet involves a number of different steps that must be completed before results can be delivered to a person seeking information.
3. The search results are returned to the user in a fraction of a second. 1. The web server sends the query to the index servers. The content inside the index servers is similar to the index in the back of a book - it tells which pages contain the words that match the query.
2. The query travels to the doc servers, which actually retrieve the stored documents. Snippets are generated to describe each search result.
From India, Ahmadabad
We stand alone in our focus on developing the "perfect search engine," defined by co-founder Larry Page as something that, "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want." To that end, we have persistently pursued innovation and refused to accept the limitations of existing models. As a result, we developed our serving infrastructure and breakthrough PageRank™ technology that changed the way searches are conducted.
From the beginning, our developers recognized that providing the fastest, most accurate results required a new kind of server setup. Whereas most search engines ran off a handful of large servers that often slowed under peak loads, ours employed linked PCs to quickly find each query's answer. The innovation paid off in faster response times, greater scalability and lower costs. It's an idea that others have since copied, while we have continued to refine our back-end technology to make it even more efficient.
The software behind our search technology conducts a series of simultaneous calculations requiring only a fraction of a second. Traditional search engines rely heavily on how often a word appears on a web page. We use more than 200 signals, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which pages are most important. We then conduct hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, we're able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.
• PageRank Technology: PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.
PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page's importance.
• Hypertext-Matching Analysis: Our search engine also analyzes page content. However, instead of simply scanning for page-based text (which can be manipulated by site publishers through meta-tags), our technology analyzes the full content of a page and factors in fonts, subdivisions and the precise location of each word. We also analyze the content of neighboring web pages to ensure the results returned are the most relevant to a user's query.
Our innovations don't stop at the desktop. To give people access to the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it, we continue to develop new mobile applications and services that are more accessible and customizable. And we're partnering with industry-leading carriers and device manufacturers to deliver these innovative services globally. We're working with many of these industry leaders through the Open Handset Alliance to develop Android, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform, which will offer people a less expensive and better mobile experience.
Life of a Google Query
The life span of a Google query normally lasts less than half a second, yet involves a number of different steps that must be completed before results can be delivered to a person seeking information.
3. The search results are returned to the user in a fraction of a second. 1. The web server sends the query to the index servers. The content inside the index servers is similar to the index in the back of a book - it tells which pages contain the words that match the query.
2. The query travels to the doc servers, which actually retrieve the stored documents. Snippets are generated to describe each search result.
From India, Ahmadabad
How to improve your Google searching
Written by Alex Ashman
Google currently dominates the search engine market and looks set to continue to do so in the near future especially with millions of people having Google set as their homepage. Given that so many use Google for so many reasons, this tutorial should help you be more efficient with your searching.
Country Specific Search
Google provides on its index page the option to search just within your particular country, which is often very useful, for example place names of course exist in different countries, so searching for "Hampshire" and "pages within the UK" should ensure no results are related to New Hampshire in the US. Google already tailors results relative to your residing country, but this can further narrow down your search.
Google Advanced Search
An obvious place to start and one that is often overlooked is to click on the advanced search linkjust next to the box where you enter your topic to search for. This page can be very useful, especially if you know you are searching within a very broad topic. It includes the options for 'all of the words', 'exact phrase', 'at least one of the words' and 'without the words' as well as language options, regional searches and dates among others.
Google Searching Quick Tips
Some of the options available from the advanced search page are available as shortcuts by using of some of the following characters with your search. I have also included some other useful tricks that are less commonly used, but that can proved very useful in filtering search results.
"Definition Search"
Google can provide you with useful web-sourced definitions to terms by using the following search - "define: consulting". This brings up a page with different definitions and the websites that they have been taken from.
"Quotation Mark" Search
Placing quotation marks around your search keywords ensures that the words are searched as a complete phrase. This is perhaps most useful when searching for someone's name. Using "John Smith" in quotation marks ensures pages are found that have both terms, and not all the pages that contain John and all the pages that contain Smith. This performs the same function as the "+" search.
"File Type" Search
It is possible to refine your Google search so that only certain file types are shown in the search results. Adding in "filetype:" is the text to enter. An example would be "economic development in India filetype:pdf", given that offical and academic reports often are in pdf format, this could ensure your search results are of a higher quality and more reliable.
"Or" Search
Makes Google search for pages that contain both or either of the chosen words. For "example flats london or paris" would give you results that had "flats in london" or "flats in paris"
"Synonym" Search
To search for synonyms of a work, use the ~ before your word. Such an example would be "~internet ~facts" yields results about internet statistics, trivia, databases etc.
"Fill in the Blanks" Search
If you need an answer to a question you can use an * where the words or answer are missing. For example "* is the queen of england", or "George Bush was born in *"
"Domain" Search
If a certain site doesn't have great searching facilities, or you just want to save time you can rely on google to show you all a site's indexed pages. Searching for "business site:bbc.co.uk" shows all pages that are within the bbc.co.uk site that are related to business.
"+" Search
To improve the speed of searching and the accuracy of results, Google excludes common words such as to, when, where etc. If these are essential to your search to narrow it, there is a solution - by adding in the "+" before the word you want to include. Entering "Back to the Future +3" would ensure only sites that are talking about the 3rd film would show up.
"-" Search
Including a "-" sign in your search rather obviously excludes the terms you want. If you know you are likely to receive results from online shops it may make sense to include "-store" or "-merchant" with your other keywords.
"Numrange" Search
Google neatly allows you to search within certain data ranges if you tell it to by using two full stops (or periods if you're American) and no space. For example - "Coldplay CD £5..£8". This type of search is perhaps sometimes useful, although I have personally found this to be the most limited of Google's extra search features.
From India, Ahmadabad
Written by Alex Ashman
Google currently dominates the search engine market and looks set to continue to do so in the near future especially with millions of people having Google set as their homepage. Given that so many use Google for so many reasons, this tutorial should help you be more efficient with your searching.
Country Specific Search
Google provides on its index page the option to search just within your particular country, which is often very useful, for example place names of course exist in different countries, so searching for "Hampshire" and "pages within the UK" should ensure no results are related to New Hampshire in the US. Google already tailors results relative to your residing country, but this can further narrow down your search.
Google Advanced Search
An obvious place to start and one that is often overlooked is to click on the advanced search linkjust next to the box where you enter your topic to search for. This page can be very useful, especially if you know you are searching within a very broad topic. It includes the options for 'all of the words', 'exact phrase', 'at least one of the words' and 'without the words' as well as language options, regional searches and dates among others.
Google Searching Quick Tips
Some of the options available from the advanced search page are available as shortcuts by using of some of the following characters with your search. I have also included some other useful tricks that are less commonly used, but that can proved very useful in filtering search results.
"Definition Search"
Google can provide you with useful web-sourced definitions to terms by using the following search - "define: consulting". This brings up a page with different definitions and the websites that they have been taken from.
"Quotation Mark" Search
Placing quotation marks around your search keywords ensures that the words are searched as a complete phrase. This is perhaps most useful when searching for someone's name. Using "John Smith" in quotation marks ensures pages are found that have both terms, and not all the pages that contain John and all the pages that contain Smith. This performs the same function as the "+" search.
"File Type" Search
It is possible to refine your Google search so that only certain file types are shown in the search results. Adding in "filetype:" is the text to enter. An example would be "economic development in India filetype:pdf", given that offical and academic reports often are in pdf format, this could ensure your search results are of a higher quality and more reliable.
"Or" Search
Makes Google search for pages that contain both or either of the chosen words. For "example flats london or paris" would give you results that had "flats in london" or "flats in paris"
"Synonym" Search
To search for synonyms of a work, use the ~ before your word. Such an example would be "~internet ~facts" yields results about internet statistics, trivia, databases etc.
"Fill in the Blanks" Search
If you need an answer to a question you can use an * where the words or answer are missing. For example "* is the queen of england", or "George Bush was born in *"
"Domain" Search
If a certain site doesn't have great searching facilities, or you just want to save time you can rely on google to show you all a site's indexed pages. Searching for "business site:bbc.co.uk" shows all pages that are within the bbc.co.uk site that are related to business.
"+" Search
To improve the speed of searching and the accuracy of results, Google excludes common words such as to, when, where etc. If these are essential to your search to narrow it, there is a solution - by adding in the "+" before the word you want to include. Entering "Back to the Future +3" would ensure only sites that are talking about the 3rd film would show up.
"-" Search
Including a "-" sign in your search rather obviously excludes the terms you want. If you know you are likely to receive results from online shops it may make sense to include "-store" or "-merchant" with your other keywords.
"Numrange" Search
Google neatly allows you to search within certain data ranges if you tell it to by using two full stops (or periods if you're American) and no space. For example - "Coldplay CD £5..£8". This type of search is perhaps sometimes useful, although I have personally found this to be the most limited of Google's extra search features.
From India, Ahmadabad
5 Google Tips To Improve Your Search Experience
Want an RSS feed of all Britney, all the time, or 3-D modeling software? Beyond basic search and apps like Google Earth, here are some little-known tips to enhance your online experience, including a free way to generate Sidebar Gadgets for Windows Vista.
By Alexander Wolfe
InformationWeek
March 17, 2007 04:00 AM
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is known as a major-league search destination and as the source of "wish I'd thought of that" apps such as Google Earth, the Picasa photo-sharing program, and Gmail. However, a closer investigation turns up both some little-known ways to get the most out of your searches and some funky productivity boosting applications you might not have heard about.
1
Create Customized News Feeds
All the world's news may be at your fingertips on the Web, but one still typically has to either browse through an online newspaper, visit a bookmarked site, or browse through a long list of RSS feeds to find that nugget of interest. What if you could create a customized feed, which would instant present you with just the news you're interested in? Perhaps you're interested in what Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is up to. Or maybe you've been slacking off on the technology and following Britney Spears instead. Either way, Google News Feed is the app for you.
More Internet Insights
White Papers
• Security and Trust: The Backbone of Doing Business over the Internet
• VeriSign Code Signing Digital Certificates for Adobe AIR Technology
These feeds are a refinement of Google's widely used news page, which aggregates news from around the world into nine coarse-grain buckets such as Top Stories, Science & Technology, Health, and Sports.
(click image for larger view)
Google provides RSS news feeds for eight broad topic areas, ranging from world and national news to sports and entertainment.
view the image gallery
(click image for larger view)
News feeds customized to any topic you desire can be created by putting in a search term and then grabbing the RSS feed from the middle-left portion of the Google page.
view the image gallery
Turning the feeds from something you access within a Web browser into a more useful information flow that comes to you is done by grabbing via Really Simple Syndication. By now, even people who don't use that technology know this is called an RSS feed--an XML stream that can be decoded by an RSS reader.
Feeds have their own form of URL. For example, Google News's Sci/Tech RSS feed ishttp:// Simply plug the URL into your RSS reader or into the new RSS facility that's been integrated into Internet Explorer 7 and you're good to go. The RSS feeds for the other eight Google News categories can be picked up here
Far more interesting is the full-custom capability I mentioned in the beginning. To pursue this tack, go back to Google News. Type the subject of interest--we're going with "Microsoft"--into the search box at the top of the page. After you hit "Search," the page will come back with an RSS link about six inches down the left side of the browser. Click on that, and you'll get a link--http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=microsoft&ie=UTF-8&output=rss, in this case--which you can paste into your RSS reader. That'll keep all the latest Microsoft-related stories coming your way.
Once that's done, the customized feed will be displayed in your RSS reader just as if it were a "regular" feed from another other site you normally subscribe to. (If you're still interested in our hypothetical "Britney Spears" feed, the RSS link to paste into your reader is: britney spears - Google News. )
(click image for larger view)
Here's the XML code generated by the Google News RSS feed; in this case for a customized "Microsoft" feed.
view the image gallery
(click image for larger view)
RSS readers like Bloglines -- or the new RSS feature in Internet Explorer 7 -- can be used to view your customized Google feeds.
view the image gallery
Best of all, with Google's customized feed feature, you can add a new feed at any time, simply by doing a new search and grabbing the RSS URL from the button on the left side of the Google News page. (That is, when you do a search, you get an RSS feed which corresponds to that search. Also, note that the feed will continually draw in new stories on that subject, not just stuff extant at the time of your search.) Sophisticated users have long relied on Web-based RSS readers such as Bloglines or Google Reader. With the capability now built into IE 7, you no longer have an excuse not to try out perhaps the most useful Web tools that hasn't yet advanced much beyond the early adopters into ubiquity.
Page 2: Sidebar 'Gadgets' For Windows Vista
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Next Page »
From India, Ahmadabad
Want an RSS feed of all Britney, all the time, or 3-D modeling software? Beyond basic search and apps like Google Earth, here are some little-known tips to enhance your online experience, including a free way to generate Sidebar Gadgets for Windows Vista.
By Alexander Wolfe
InformationWeek
March 17, 2007 04:00 AM
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is known as a major-league search destination and as the source of "wish I'd thought of that" apps such as Google Earth, the Picasa photo-sharing program, and Gmail. However, a closer investigation turns up both some little-known ways to get the most out of your searches and some funky productivity boosting applications you might not have heard about.
1
Create Customized News Feeds
All the world's news may be at your fingertips on the Web, but one still typically has to either browse through an online newspaper, visit a bookmarked site, or browse through a long list of RSS feeds to find that nugget of interest. What if you could create a customized feed, which would instant present you with just the news you're interested in? Perhaps you're interested in what Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is up to. Or maybe you've been slacking off on the technology and following Britney Spears instead. Either way, Google News Feed is the app for you.
More Internet Insights
White Papers
• Security and Trust: The Backbone of Doing Business over the Internet
• VeriSign Code Signing Digital Certificates for Adobe AIR Technology
These feeds are a refinement of Google's widely used news page, which aggregates news from around the world into nine coarse-grain buckets such as Top Stories, Science & Technology, Health, and Sports.
(click image for larger view)
Google provides RSS news feeds for eight broad topic areas, ranging from world and national news to sports and entertainment.
view the image gallery
(click image for larger view)
News feeds customized to any topic you desire can be created by putting in a search term and then grabbing the RSS feed from the middle-left portion of the Google page.
view the image gallery
Turning the feeds from something you access within a Web browser into a more useful information flow that comes to you is done by grabbing via Really Simple Syndication. By now, even people who don't use that technology know this is called an RSS feed--an XML stream that can be decoded by an RSS reader.
Feeds have their own form of URL. For example, Google News's Sci/Tech RSS feed ishttp:// Simply plug the URL into your RSS reader or into the new RSS facility that's been integrated into Internet Explorer 7 and you're good to go. The RSS feeds for the other eight Google News categories can be picked up here
Far more interesting is the full-custom capability I mentioned in the beginning. To pursue this tack, go back to Google News. Type the subject of interest--we're going with "Microsoft"--into the search box at the top of the page. After you hit "Search," the page will come back with an RSS link about six inches down the left side of the browser. Click on that, and you'll get a link--http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=microsoft&ie=UTF-8&output=rss, in this case--which you can paste into your RSS reader. That'll keep all the latest Microsoft-related stories coming your way.
Once that's done, the customized feed will be displayed in your RSS reader just as if it were a "regular" feed from another other site you normally subscribe to. (If you're still interested in our hypothetical "Britney Spears" feed, the RSS link to paste into your reader is: britney spears - Google News. )
(click image for larger view)
Here's the XML code generated by the Google News RSS feed; in this case for a customized "Microsoft" feed.
view the image gallery
(click image for larger view)
RSS readers like Bloglines -- or the new RSS feature in Internet Explorer 7 -- can be used to view your customized Google feeds.
view the image gallery
Best of all, with Google's customized feed feature, you can add a new feed at any time, simply by doing a new search and grabbing the RSS URL from the button on the left side of the Google News page. (That is, when you do a search, you get an RSS feed which corresponds to that search. Also, note that the feed will continually draw in new stories on that subject, not just stuff extant at the time of your search.) Sophisticated users have long relied on Web-based RSS readers such as Bloglines or Google Reader. With the capability now built into IE 7, you no longer have an excuse not to try out perhaps the most useful Web tools that hasn't yet advanced much beyond the early adopters into ubiquity.
Page 2: Sidebar 'Gadgets' For Windows Vista
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Next Page »
From India, Ahmadabad
Subject: Re: HRM vs. HRD - What is the difference?
Dear cbbahamas-ga,
Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Development (HRD) each have their own unique purpose in the functionality of a company.
Human Resource Management (HRM) is the management of company personnel. It is defined as the staffing function of the organization, encompassing activities such as human resources planning, recruitment, selection, orientation, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and safety.
Here is a more detailed explanation:
HRM means just what it says - human resource management - the management of people or resources in an organization. Almost every working organization has to have some form of HRM staff to take care of basic employee management tasks. HRM encompasses traditional HR areas, including compensation and benefits, recruiting and staffing, employee and labor relations, and occupational health and safety.
An HRM professional might start out as a generalist, then choose a specialty area of HRM such as benefits and become a benefits manager. After that, she may choose to remain in the specialty area, perhaps running all benefits programs at an organization, or move into an HR leadership role as an HR director or VP overseeing both HRM and HRD tasks.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is the development and management of company resources. It is defined as the development of human capabilities, abilities, knowledge, and know-how to meet people's ever-growing needs for goods and services to improve their standard of living and quality of life. It is a process in which the citizens of a nation acquire and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for occupational tasks and for other social, cultural, intellectual, and political roles that form part of a vibrant democratic society.
Here's more on HRD:
On the other hand, HRD - human resource development - is the development of resources in a company: organization development, performance management, training and learning, and coaching. HRD includes evaluating employee performance, helping employees learn and develop new skills, and assisting them with weaknesses or areas of development. HRD also includes helping an organization develop - diagnosing problems with how people work together in certain areas of an organization.
An HRD professional's career might begin with an analyst role, working as a consultant on a company's organization development (OD) team. The HRD professional may then choose to specialize, focusing specifically on performance programs in the organization, or may become an OD manager, in charge of several analysts or consultants working on OD projects. After that, he may choose to remain in the specialty area running the OD function or move into an HR leadership role as an HR director or VP overseeing both HRM and HRD tasks.
I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions about my research, please post a clarification request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating, final comments, and look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards,
Tutuzdad-ga - Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
Defined above
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google: //www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
Human Resource Management
HRM
Human Resource Development
HRD
From India, Ahmadabad
Dear cbbahamas-ga,
Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Development (HRD) each have their own unique purpose in the functionality of a company.
Human Resource Management (HRM) is the management of company personnel. It is defined as the staffing function of the organization, encompassing activities such as human resources planning, recruitment, selection, orientation, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and safety.
Here is a more detailed explanation:
HRM means just what it says - human resource management - the management of people or resources in an organization. Almost every working organization has to have some form of HRM staff to take care of basic employee management tasks. HRM encompasses traditional HR areas, including compensation and benefits, recruiting and staffing, employee and labor relations, and occupational health and safety.
An HRM professional might start out as a generalist, then choose a specialty area of HRM such as benefits and become a benefits manager. After that, she may choose to remain in the specialty area, perhaps running all benefits programs at an organization, or move into an HR leadership role as an HR director or VP overseeing both HRM and HRD tasks.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is the development and management of company resources. It is defined as the development of human capabilities, abilities, knowledge, and know-how to meet people's ever-growing needs for goods and services to improve their standard of living and quality of life. It is a process in which the citizens of a nation acquire and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for occupational tasks and for other social, cultural, intellectual, and political roles that form part of a vibrant democratic society.
Here's more on HRD:
On the other hand, HRD - human resource development - is the development of resources in a company: organization development, performance management, training and learning, and coaching. HRD includes evaluating employee performance, helping employees learn and develop new skills, and assisting them with weaknesses or areas of development. HRD also includes helping an organization develop - diagnosing problems with how people work together in certain areas of an organization.
An HRD professional's career might begin with an analyst role, working as a consultant on a company's organization development (OD) team. The HRD professional may then choose to specialize, focusing specifically on performance programs in the organization, or may become an OD manager, in charge of several analysts or consultants working on OD projects. After that, he may choose to remain in the specialty area running the OD function or move into an HR leadership role as an HR director or VP overseeing both HRM and HRD tasks.
I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions about my research, please post a clarification request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating, final comments, and look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards,
Tutuzdad-ga - Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
Defined above
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google: //www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
Human Resource Management
HRM
Human Resource Development
HRD
From India, Ahmadabad
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